The historic Auditorium Theatre hosted its 2023 Annual Gala to celebrate opening night of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which had a six-performance run at the theatre as part of its 22-city North American tour, and honor two of Chicago's beloved civic leaders.
Auditorium Theatre Gala photo gallery
Nearly 300 supporters enjoyed a 90-minute performance, which included “Are You In Your Feelings? Unfold Revelations,” a celebration of Black culture scored to a ‘mix-tape’ of soul, hip-hop, and R&B, before heading to the Palmer House Hilton for dinner, dancing and an awards presentation.
Co-chaired by Thomas R. Baryl, Thomas R. Nash, Isobel Neal, and Nicole Robinson, the gala honored two of Chicago’s cultural dynamos: Auditorium Theatre’s most recent past chair and longtime board member Ann Nash and veteran arts and philanthropy consultant Amina Dickerson.
Nash was honored with the Adler & Sullivan Award for her lasting contributions to the arts and her longstanding and exceptional commitment to the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre, the crowning achievement of famed architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan.
Dickerson received the inaugural Beatrice Spachner Award for substantially enhancing the cultural fabric of Chicago by demonstrating an exemplary commitment to issues of civic concern, social justice and community development. This honor is named for the late Beatrice T. Spachner, the Roosevelt University Trustee who established the Auditorium Theatre Council in 1960 to raise much needed funds for the restoration of the theater.
The gala host committee included local philanthropists and civic leaders Michelle T. Boone, Joan Colmar, Patti Eylar and Charlie Gardner, Annette C. M. Guzman, Helen Hall Melchior, Roderick K. Hawkins, Nicole Hayes, Emily Nash and Lawrence Mabes, Kate Nash and Gustave Falciglia, Julia and Patrick Ryan.
“I am excited to see the brilliance of Ailey’s dancers back on the Auditorium Theatre stage in this season’s repertory filled with some of Alvin Ailey’s most memorable works while premiering choreography by Kyle Abraham and Jamar Roberts that explore Black culture and love through soulful and inventive musical journeys,” said Artistic Director Robert Battle. “For decades, we’ve been proud to bring to Chicagoans our vision of resilience, artistry and spirit, using dance to inspire, entertain and share the joy of connections.”
The event raised $225,000 to support the Auditorium Theatre’s programming and preservation of this National Historic Landmark Theatre. (Photos by Elliot Powell)
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